Morning Show Promotion Tragedy

Rarely do local radio stations make national news, but Entercom's KDND in Sacramento, CA has caused a really big stir in the broadcasting world. Their alleged crime now puts the spotlight on shock-jocks like never before.

The Morning Rave, the stations radio morning show program, decided on a weird promotional contest where contestants who held back their urine the longest would be awarded a Nintendo Wii video game console. But the ill-advised stunt allegedly caused the death of a young mother bringing the unintended focus the wrong kind of attention/rating seeking stunt that radio jocks don't want.

After some reflection of my own, I wondered why a Top 40 station would green light a promotion so stupid and risky in the first place. Most Top 40 stations are bland and never deviate from the family-oriented entertaining content. "Holding Wee for a Wii" is clever but gross. Wouldn't a simple high score on a Wii game be more of a safer alternative?

I doubt it was worth the risk. It cost everyone involved with the Morning Rave program to be summarily dismissed. But the infection of a stunt gone wrong doesnt end there. The black cloud of this tragedy will seep upward to station management where they too will have to answer to justice.

EDIT:

The family of Jennifer Strange urged the FCC to shut down the station and punish the parent company Entercom. On January 24, 2007 The FCC announced that they will investigate the station to see if it violated the terms of its license. If KDND is found guilty the station will have their license stripped and be ordered off the air.

[Via: Wikipedia]

Cleveland Sucks the Big One!

Of course I realize the redundancy of my blog's title, but tonight, I would have a prime example of just how much it sucks.

As I am driving back last night from Erie, PA on I-79, I am able to pick up a strong signal of "The Big One" WTAM-AM and curious as to what histrionics would come out of Cleveland after an Indians inept loss to the streaky Minnesota Twins. I wasn't able to catch the broadcaster's name as I was first passively listening to it while paying attention to the 100 million 16-wheelers on the road. He had said something so completely irresponsible as a broadcaster, I truly wondered why he still had a job when there are plenty of excellent and well-learned people struggling to get a job in the industry.

This broadcaster took a call from a grizzled fan who was disappointed by the alleged defeatist attitude and words emoted during the late innings by the Indians broadcasters. The fan had wanted the game-broadcasters to keep up hope that the Indians would make a comeback. Then, the post-game show host had debated the caller with something so ridiculous it almost made me slam on the breaks and scream.

The post-game broadcaster had come to the defense of the game announcers and defended them quite vigorously. He took his stance with the thought that broadcasters should be given more credit because they were more honest instead of giving a false hope.

In broadcasting 101, you learn that the first priority is to maintain your audience level- secondary to satisfying the company's commercial sponsors. If the allegations of the Indians broadcasters were accurate, then the Indians team would have lost fans listening to the broadcast in the middle because they alluded to the fact that the game was already out of reach. How many fans gave up that night and never heard the rest of the commercials which were sold on the promise that the station would provide people to hear them? They should just be up front and say "Hey, we're not going to win so you'd be better off changing the channel or turning off your radios."

Then afterwards I wasn't shocked at the way that the broadcasters all defended each other. Broadcasting partners will almost always get wrapped up in an "incestuous" nature where they all protect and insulate each other from criticism. I wouldn't be surprised that the post-game host probably had a friendship to the game hosts.

It's that kind of irresponsibility that makes me believe all of the reputations of Cleveland to be "the mistake by the lake". Or one could say that Cleveland bites "the big one"!

My Time in the Clubhouse Part Two

As I am typing this, I am on my laptop computer watching the Pirates play the Chicago White Sox (the defending world series champions). But I also have some press credentials in the press box here, courtesy of some good friends connected to central PA radio. My friend Dan came with me from State College and he's been in good health through most of this game.

It's been a really fun to watch the game from the Press Box. I've stayed dry as the game was delayed by rain for 25 minutes or so. I've even got to see a lot of local celebrities around the press box. Trenni Kusnerek sat in front of me. All she did was sit there and play with her cell phone and chat to the co-workers.

Okay, so, I did a little chatting too on IM to tell all my buddies where I was. It was a little unprofessional, but it's not like I had to make a deadline or something.

The Pirates played well and even almost won the game on the technicality of a rain delay. But the weather wasn't around that long.

After the 9th inning home run heroics by my new friend Sanchez, I was able to get in a question during the Mgr. Tracy "presser" and ask him about weather or not he thought the White Sox used Jim Thome at the right time and peaked too soon. He looked right at me the whole time he answered the question. But while he was looking at me, the GM was looking at him the whole time off-camera.

So, I got to go back into the clubhouse and talk to the Pirates. I stayed around Sanchez's locker to ask him some more follow up questions. I tried to get him to talk about the next team to play in the Detroit Tigers. I caught it all on my minidisk hopefully leading to a really good aircheck.

I tried to talk to some of the White Sox and Rob Makowiak (former Altoona Curve) in particular, but they had all hit the showers and went home by the time I could find my way out of the basement boiler room.

My Time in the Clubhouse.

(okay.. So.. It’s better late than never, I guess. Here‘s the mystery revealed on how I spent my 29th birthday.)

So, it was kept a big secret by my friend Dan who still keeps in touch with some of his other radio broadcast partners and wanted to do something nice for me for my birthday. I wasn’t told any details other than to bring with me to State College, PA my broadcasting equipment and a shirt and tie. It was an interesting set-up because Dan has admitted to me that he was brand new at planning events for his friends’ birthdays.

I was still left in suspense one more day as I racked my brain trying to decipher the riddle of my birthday gift. Were we to go to a secret job interview? Was I going to make a day trip to Toronto to see the last Penguins game of the year? Did he somehow score a double-date for me? With each scenario, I tried to follow the clues as to what might be up my friend’s sleeve.

Wednesday morning came and I was a year older. 29 isn’t exactly a milestone year, but hey - I made it this far. I am unusually chipper and upbeat on my birthday no matter what. It’s my philosophy that I want all my close friends and family to be happy along with me on this particular day. So, making it big was all I could ever want.

I got dressed and even got into my car with still no knowledge of just where I would be going. Dan handed me the little envelope that he had been keeping and inside was 2 tickets to the Pittsburgh Pirates with press laminates waiting for us at PNC Park. It was certainly shaping up to be a birthday to remember.

The adventure driving to the ballpark was interesting. I rarely drive on the north side of Pittsburgh and I will only do so if I’m forced. I relied on my friend Dan’s recollection of the city and supplemented it with my own sense of remembering familiar landmarks and street signs.

On the way there, we joked and laughed by making up so many ridiculous questions that I could pose to the Pittsburgh Pirates. I guess I was just combating my nerves as it was certainly going to take all of my natural broadcaster instincts and inquiring mind. The Pirates weren’t doing well in the season. Silly questions like “Why do you guys suck so bad?” and “So, Jason Bay, I hear you‘re Canadian. What‘s that like?” were certainly going to angle my way out the door faster than I can say “home run.“ Dan and I agreed on one thing, this might be our first time reporting in the big leagues from PNC Park, but we had to be really guarded not to look like a real couple of “noobs”.

We walked up to the grand carousel entrance and my “media case” was inspected before I went through the turnstile. Dan and I had the tickets, but we needed to find how to get in to the media section of the ballpark. Our beginner’s luck ended there when an usher told us to go back outside the stadium and walk down past the ticket windows and find the press door . Okay, that was embarrassing.

Then at the media door, we were greeted by a press liaison who again felt it necessary to inspect my black bag that I carry all of my broadcasting equipment in. I think it was safe. He then checked our names off the list and gave us the press laminates (or “lams” as we call ‘em in the business). Written in black marker was my name, the call letters of the station, the date that it was good for. But there were also rules of conduct on the card itself.

No Autographs. Damnit!

So, we first made our way up to the broadcast booth by way of the courtesy elevator. Then the whole world had unfolded before me. As a young man, I had always daydreamed and fanaticized about what it was going to be like. This was like going to Universal Studios to see how the magic was made. What made it worse was that there were all kinds of local celebrities just walking around. This Pittsburgh-born and bread was star struck at Greg Brown who briskly walked in front of me. Dan and I were invited to all the hand-outs and refreshments made available. Like a kid in a candy store, I pretty much grabbed everything I could get my hands on. Media guide inserts, charts, and a manual on how to get internet wireless access while I was in the PNC Park.
Then there was the issue of being star-struck. I knew I had to get over it quickly. I tried to talk to Dan, but with every glance, I recognized a local personality. I pointed out in the middle of my sentences, “Hey, there’s Steve Blass.” (He’s the TV/Radio commentator for the Pirates and has been for years.)

Dan and I took it all in. Looking down at the field and the open city skyline was a tremendous feeling. I had realized my dream, for that moment, to be a broadcaster in the city that I call home. Then, I made an oath to never give up trying to actualize my destiny.

We got in the elevator and took it back down so we could go to our seats in time for the actual game. I still had my media case with me stuffed with just about every recording device available, but I had overlooked one crucial thing. A writing utensil. Okay, so this was a learning experience too. I’ll not forget again.

The seats were right directly behind home plate. They were far back from the front, but it was still a good view of the action. Only bad thing was that the backstop screen was going to catch any foul ball that came our way. The Pirates were playing the St. Louis Cardinals. In the afternoon game, the Cardinals came ready to play. I have no answer as to why the Pirates struggle so badly, but missing key players to injury didn’t help much. The Pirates were no-hit through the 6th inning. The Pirates wound up losing the game 5-1. Dan and I continued to goof on the Pirates poor performance. Then we planned our way around to best ready ourselves for the post-game interviews.

We took the elevator back down to the Press Club level and waited in the press cafeteria for the game to wrap it’s final innings. Dan and I found the press conference room where the manager addresses the issues after the game. We were alone. Again, we took the opportunity to goof off and relieve some of the nervousness. Quick thinking, I jumped onto the manager’s platform and sat down in front of the microphone for a quick picture.

Jim Tracy was the disheveled and thoroughly defeated manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s his first year with the team, coming from the LA Dodgers. The only reason he got this job was that he grew up in western PA. I didn’t know much anything else about him. I was about to get a crash course in “MLB Press Conference 101”.

With my Sony Minidisk in hand, I found the side of the room that had the mult-box (an electronic device that allows many connections where the other reporters Minidisks were plugged in to so as to capture the audio from the same microphone that the manager was using.) I didn’t have the right kind of plug that would be able to work with the mult-box. Again, I was caught unprepared and the other local reporters all stared at me. They stared at me hard. I was told that I could just plant my Minidisk recorder and microphone up on the table with the writers.

So much for looking like I knew what the hell I was doing.

While Jim Tracy took questions from the assembled local reporters, he deliberately looked at each and every one in the room. Jim Tracy looked right at me. I was so impressed with that. By doing that, he made me feel that I was indeed a legitimate part of the press. I didn’t get to ask him any questions, but I still got some audio to be worth it.

Another local celebrity is Trenni Kusnerek. She works for the FOX Sports local affiliate here in Pittsburgh. Total hottie! I hoped that I would get a chance to meet and talk with her. Sure enough, she makes a grand appearance in the room. All the other sports guys, cameramen, and workers shouted for her attention. She must really be popular among her peers.

Next came the players in the clubhouse. I made my way over there with the pack of reporters. I wasn’t going to challenge them for the story today, but someday I knew I was going to be back to keep pace. Be warned, there’s going to be some really graphic behind the scenes encounters coming up.

The Pirates locker room is set up like an oval inside another oval. The office rooms looped around a hallway were the inside room was a bunch of wooden cubicles set up for each individual player. The press would set up in the middle. I took a quick trip around to familiarize myself with the surroundings - especially how to get out if needed.

The sobering moment that shocked me out of my star-struck mood was that the Pirates were all still getting out of the shower. Yes. They got dressed right in front of me. I didn’t actually watch anyone, but I never would have expected that this would happen. Dan shadowed me and relied on my recognition of which players to talk to. I didn’t have a game plan, I just followed the lemming reporters around. Surely, they knew what they were doing.

As if the uncomfortable situation of the Pirates changing all around me was enough, I had to see with my own two eyes Trenni standing in the locker room. There was a player just 10 yards away from her naked as a jaybird, but nobody seemed to care that there was a woman in the locker room. Probably nothing she hasn’t seen already before. Shocking! Is this what goes on in professional leagues all across America?

Jack Wilson walked by me pulling his luggage behind him. He didn’t play in the game.

I got to talk to one of the new Pirates Jeremy Burnitz. He looks so much bigger on TV. They all did. But now that I got up close, I was able to look him in the eye. I got to ask him about him playing in his 1,600 game on the idea that all athletes just love talking about themselves. He was nice to me. I got to talk to Pirates utility infielder Sanchez. I asked him about what he can do to stay in the lineup. All he did was give me a PC answer. Then, I moved on to pitcher Zach Duke. I had also heard the fact that it was his birthday too. He said that his teammates didn’t have any special plans for him, but they were probably all going to go out later that night.

After that was said, I told Dan that maybe this was going to be enough for one day’s experience and that we should quit while we were still ahead. We hit the road to go back to State College. It was a long 3 hour drive that was fueled by all the excitement I encountered.

Dan was impressed with me. He told me that I had composed myself professionally and showed him that was most certainly capable of adapting to the situation when I was thrown into it blindly unprepared. The next time I get press passes, I’ll be ready for one of the biggest and important events of the summer. The 2006 All-Star Game!

There is an opening at KTRS in St. Louis

On one hand it looks like it was a slip of the tounge that cost a radio broadcaster his job, but it was quite the offensive remark that shouldn't have happened on a prominent St. Louis Radio Station KTRS-AM.

Dave Lenihan, who's prior credit was a stint at WGNU, had just joined KTRS when the topic of U.S. Secretary of State Condi Rice caused him to make the unfortunate association with the word "coon". Mr. Lenihan, according to the article, insists that he meant to say something else, but management saw it differently and fired him within 20 minutes of the offending broadcast.

[Via: St. Louis Post Dispatch]

NBC Baits NASCAR Fans

NBC has decided to do a really appalling thing. They decided to collect some "Arab-looking" men and take them to a NASCAR sponsored race and follow them with a camera crew through the crowds to see if they would experience racism and/or bigotry.

But word had gotten out that NBC-Universal broadcast company was planning to do it and pundits and political talk radio was all over condemning this latest stunt.

It doesn't surprise me that they would try this. But I'm glad that they didn't get away with it.

[Via: newsbusters]

Brazilian Prostitutes Open New FM Station

Well, this is an interesting venture into the world of broadcasting. It seems that a group of sex workers in Brazil have gotten permission from their government to start their own FM radio station by the end of this year.

The spokesman Sandro Correia explains just what their efforts may yield:

"We are not going to apologize for prostitution but we are going to struggle for the dignity of the profession," Correia told Reuters.

The aim was not to attract women to the business. The station will feature programs about the trade but will also discuss issues such as human rights, social questions, and sexual abuse, Correia said.

"The idea is that we have diverse programs that look at health issues,
AIDS prevention, and racism, for example," he said.

Hmmm... I wonder if I could translate my resume into Brazilian! Clearly they could use a strong opinionated radio broadcasting veteran to point the way for them!

[Via: Yahoo! News]

Radio Talk Show Host's Wife Dies Suddenly

Art Bell, mostly known for his unique programming on the late night supernatural and conspiracy theory, suddenly lost his wife to an asthma attack.

No word as to who is responsible, the NSA, FCC, FBI, Extra-terrestrials or some other shadow gov't.

In all seriousness... my deepest condolences go out to the Bell family for their tragic and sudden loss.


[Via: Radio and Records]

Pittsburgh RRK Switch Formats yet again

WRRK-FM formerly a strong active and classic rock station in the Pittsburgh market has now changed over to the surging BOB FM trend. Bob FM is a new "we'll play anything" radio format that is competing with the people who listen to a large variety of music.

They have dumped mostly all of their broadcasters and signed off of their Bob and Tom syndicated morning show. RRK was struggling to survive when the Pittsburgh market is dominated by classic DVE station. This makes the third format change for 96.9 FM in three years.

I am very disappointed in the change and I do not like the "play anything" format. It seems to be eliminating the human element to radio and could be putting a lot of jocks out of work.

I'll be watching this story closely as the radio trends unfolds.

NHL, XM Become Partners for Next Decade

Well, I'm glad that I didn't impulsively buy the Sirius Radio when I did, because after reading this news, I guess I'll be joining up with XM next year when I have even more money to afford.

The NHL announced a great deal that they have come to terms with XM Satellite Radio to be the exclusive satellite broadcasters for the next 10 years. The contract is set to net the NHL $100,000,000(US).

There is also in the works a satellite channel dedicated to hockey 24/7 for the XM network.

According to a FAN 590 radio interview, NHL Pres. Bettman has stated that they have also extended their agreement with Satellite Radio Canada so that hockey fans there can enjoy the same broadcasts that Americans do.
[Yahoo! Sports & Radio & Records]

Broadcasters Rush To Help Hurricane Victims

In an attempt to do some kind of good, broadcasters all over the country have made some kind of effort to raise the public's contributions to the Red Cross and other lifesaving charities.

Rush Limbaugh has announced that he will be giving a one-man performance at New York's New Amsterdam Hall on October 18th, 2005. The benefit will go to the Hurricane victims of this recent Katrina disaster. Also appearing at the show will be EIB heir-apparent Sean Hannity to do an introduction.

The Bob and Tom Morning Show, with 150 affiliates nationwide, is running an auction on their website with the money also going to help victims. They've relied on their long time friend of the show Peyton Manning. For more information, please visit the links below.

Also, I would like to warn everyone who reads this post. I am guessing that 60% of the broadcast media who is currently seeking relief and monetary funds is not doing it out of charity. They are using this tragedy to their own exploitive self promotional needs (with the above mentioned people excluded). Listen closely at how many times they mention their own name and attach it to the generosity they claim to give. Watch NBC's telethon and watch the parade of every slipping movie star and musician who will trip over themselves to put their name out in public again. Give your donations directly to the people who need it. Your donation to the Red Cross goes to the salaries of people who work for it.

[Via: Radio & Records, Radio & Records]

Construction Starts on Broadcasting Museum

The American Broadcasting Museum began it's construction in Chicago today. It will take over from the previous location in the downtown Cultural museum. It will open up next summer with a projected cost of $21 million(US).

No word as of yet if they have reserved a wing for my career highlights.

Radio & Records

Death to Disco Anniversary

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the day that the old Comisky Park in Chicago held a disastrous promotion celebrating the backlash against the disco music genre. Originally, records and 8-tracks were detonated in the outfield, but soon chaos erupted and the rally turned into a full scale riot.

It caused the White Sox to forfeit the game that day and many unruly people were arrested.

Today people talk about it as a black day in broadcasting history as it was widely promoted by a Chicago area disk jockey.

Any Idiot in Florida Can Do Radio

THE MAN came crashing down on the citizens of Florida and made some arrests in an apparent rescuing of the public airwaves.

North Miami Beach, FL police detectives on June 23 seized and impounded equipment being used by an unlicensed radio station that used the 91.7 MHz frequency -- the same one used by Christian Rock noncomm WMKL/Key Largo-Miami.

According to the police report, the pirate station's transmitter was located on a two-story office building. The station was unattended, using a Windows Media Player running on a PC with a DSL connection. Furthermore, police say the pirate station's transmitter was turned on every evening using a "hot water heater"-type timing switch, which would turn off each morning.

Nice job, guys! Apparently the set-up sounds like it was put together by some chemistry and electrical engineering guys that just wanted to have something to brag to all their friends about.

Marquis McDonald and Rasheem Oriley are being accused by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement of airing uncensored rap and hip-hop music from a Ft. Lauderdale apartment on an unlicensed station at 88.5 MHz. The broadcasts effectively jammed WKPX/Sunrise, FL a student-run operation based at Piper High School

The underlining story to these two news blurbs are that it's obvious that a niche audience is being under-served. Even to a degree that people have to set up their own pirate station just to listen to the music that they wanted. Wait 'till ClearChannel hears about these stories. They read the trades. But of course, the spin would appear in the regular news that the real crime was that they aired R&B with explicit lyrics.

Maybe this is what The Lion 90.7 FM is going to have to become soon? Do you see it in their future?

[Via: Radio & Records and Radio & Records]

Penn State University Losing FM Station?

It couldn't have happened to nicer people!
After the Penn State office of Student Affairs saw that there was a "inequality" in how much money they dole out to their students through their clubs, Penn State radio is now scrambling to find funding to keep their FCC licensed FM signal up and running.

In the e-mail explain how much the Lion means to you and why UPAC should keep us around. Do your part, keep good radio alive!

Welcome to the real world kiddies! Money doesn't grow on trees! And it sure just doesn't appear there if you ask for it with your hand out! Get out there and sell the station like the rest of us who actually work in commercial radio has to do.

Of course this could all come off and sound like I've got an ax to grind against the boys club called student radio. I've never forgotten and neither should you.
[Via:The Digital Collegian]

PBS Station Has Sellers Remorse

The seemingly last bastion of liberal elitist is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the USA's PBS affiliates all over the country. There they take millions of dollars of tax money and promote their secular world view.

When KOCE-TV was put up for auction by the Coast Community College District, it came as a giant shock to find that the highest bidder was Daystar Television Network based out of Dallas, TX.

I can almost hear the cacophonous screams of liberal terror to see that their station had been bought by Christians. They can't stand the idea that Pat Robertson may appear on the station that they had in their grubby control. Now, fighting to keep the Word of a Christian God out of the public discourse, Coast Community College District rescinded their sale.

The college district apparently wasn't watching the [case law]. It now has gotten itself into a real bind, because the sale is off the table. Unless, that is, Daystar, whose corporate name is Word of God Fellowship, Inc., succeeds in convincing a court that the district make good on the sale to its organization.

It's a whole other discussion as to whether it would be better if KOCE remains in the Public Broadcasting System fold. I wish it would, but as the appellate court unflinchingly noted, you can't be so obvious in trying to thwart televangelists from buying your station in a fair auction.

I can only laugh my ass off at this news. Score another one for the good guys.

Giveaway Mistakes Costs Radio Stations Money, Fines

Cumulus owned WLTO-FM in Lexington, KY is in a lot of hot water these days. After evening jock "DJ Slick" (oh yea.... real original) promised a lucky called $100 Grand.

Well, Mrs. Norreasha Gill, 28, was that "lucky" caller and when she went to claim the "prize", the GM of the station told her it was just a Nestle brand candy bar. Uh-oh! Somebody's in trouble!

FCC regulations say contest descriptions can't be false or deceptive and that stations must conduct contests as advertised. Stations in two other states have been fined for contests that told listeners they'd won cash prizes without specifying they were in the Italian or Turkish lira, not the U.S. dollar.

Okay then, what happened to the DJ in all this mess?

DJ Slick did not return an e-mail from the Herald-Leader, but he said on his Web site that he had left his job. WLTO and Cumulus declined to comment, identify DJ Slick by his given name or say whether he was fired.

In Hartford, CT the FCC fined ClearChannel for being responsible in WKSS's mishap involving promises to provide an "all expenses paid" wedding".

...the FCC investigated and confirmed claims that WKSS's "I Do Island" contest awarded a prize package valued significantly less than the value publicized by the station and stated in the contest rules.

Specifically, the contest required five brides-to-be to live continuously in the center court of a local shopping mall for seven days and nights, utilizing only the clothes worn on the contest's first day, a sleeping bag and one additional item. Each day WKSS listeners voted to eliminate one of the contestants. The contest winner — who is the complainant — was entitled to a "Wedding Package" consisting of a wedding reception, bridal gown, bridesmaids' dresses, wedding rings, a honeymoon package and other parts of a traditional wedding event. WKSS staffers told her on the day she won the contest that she would receive all of the information necessary to collect the prizes advertised within two weeks.

However, the contest winner had not received all of the information needed to plan her wedding approximately three months after the contest had ended. WKSS ultimately informed her that the prizes awarded were worth $20,330; the station advertised the prize as being valued at $35,000.

If you think this is anything new, guess again! There have also been other idiots who try to cheat the public by stretching the truth a bit with their prize payouts.

A prank in Florida led to a similar lawsuit that was settled in 2002. A former waitress claimed Hooters promised to award her a new Toyota car — but instead gave her a toy Yoda.

That's hysterical!


[Via: Yahoo! News & Radio & Records]

Pittsburgh Broadcasting Legend Retires After 35 Years

Even with a raspy voice, the legendary broadcaster loved so much by the city he called home, announced to a gathering of his own colleagues that he was unable to continue his career.

Myron Cope, the innovator of "the terrible towel" fad, was saddened to call his career to an end when his list of ailments beginning last offseason became too much to bear. A 35 year veteran of the broadcasting industry, Cope was the most recognizable voices in Pittsburgh sports. He made all Steeler games unique with his own catch phrases and made up words. "Yoi!" and "Urm-ha" were just some of the added bonuses that listeners got from the unpredictable Cope.

[Via: The Pittsburgh Channel - WTAE]

Canada Gov't. Gives Permission to it's Citizens to have satellite Radio

So it looks like the Canadian contingency will eventually get to hear my radio program after all. I was a little dismayed at the attempts that the CRTC to block the ownership of satellite radio services in Canada.

But I guess something allegedly got around to the controlling board because Canada's gov't. never met a bag man they didn't like *ahem*.

The CRTC's approval of the satellite initiatives has a few conditions, however: At least eight channels must be Canadian-produced with 25% of the offerings French-language; at least 85% of the content on the Canadian-produced channels must be Canadian; at least a quarter of the music on those channels must be from new Canadian artists, and another 25% on the Canadian-produced must be from emerging Canadian artists. Sirius Canada and CSR must contribute 5% or more of their gross revenue to develop Canadian talent, and the CHUM-Astral conglomerate is required to contribute 2% or more.

You'd think that it would be a sweet victory for freedom lovers and broadcasters everywhere, but no.... the gov't. has to weasel themselves into places they don't belong. I've never seen so much regulations in my entire life! So where's my 24 hour Sarah McLachlan, Nickelback, Rush, Avril Lavigne, and Celine Dion channel? This is strictly a case of the minority forcing it's will on the majority.

The Canadians have hit a small snag in their plans for meeting the CRTC regulations. According to the second article, CHUM radio is expected to pull out of their plans to produce their channels in space leaving the doors open for XM and Sirius.

...the situation may be further muddied if the CHUM/Astral Media partnership the only 100% Canadian-owned company to win one of the three licenses issued by the CRTC drops out due to the cost of launching the service against XM and Sirius, which both already have systems in place that can reach Canada.

[Via:Radio & Records & Radio & Records]

Rams Hire Mole in KTRS/FSN-Midwest

When I studied politics, I was really disheartened to see just how many politicians are corruptible. When I did my turn to look into the broadcasting field, I have found that the same ratio of corrupted media types were about the same.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has broken a story claiming that the well known commentator, John Hadley, was hired as a consultant to the St. Louis Rams. Some fans and other journalists fear that there might be a conflict of interest. Even Hadley agrees,

"It's not a perfect situation by any means," Hadley acknowledges. "I'll have to be very careful"

I guess he's not worried now that as long as he gets paid. The concern is that as long as he is employed by the Rams, he can use his broadcasting position to spin the news in favor of the Rams.

[Via: St. Louis Post-Dispatch]